The Royal Festival Hall in London was recently transformed into a musical gateway to the burning pits of Hell, and no I'm not talking about a recreation of the London Underground.
As I sat in the audience for the Diablo 30th Anniversary Symphony on 06/06/(202)6, surrounded by hundreds of fellow fans, it felt like a somewhat full-circle moment for me. After all, it was my rambling spam texts I would send to friends about the current state of Diablo 3 that got me into writing about games in the first place. This franchise has changed my life in many ways, and the concert was something of a pilgrimage through three decades of iconic, haunting, and deeply atmospheric music that has defined the Diablo franchise from its humble 1996 beginnings right up to Diablo 4.
Watching a full live orchestra play the Diablo music that permeates every game session was like an out-of-body experience. I found myself in awe of how the choir's human voices, booming over the strings, functioned as instruments in their own right, really carrying the weight of the game’s gothic horror.
Watching a full live orchestra play the Diablo music that permeates every game session was like an out-of-body experience.
The instantly recognizable 12-string guitar melody from the Tristram theme was the highlight of the night. As those familiar, melancholy notes rang out, I could hear a collective intake of breath from the other fans sitting around me. It was a shared connection to a piece of music that has been the background of many a session over the years. It was heard a few times throughout the performance, as it's woven deep into the soul of Diablo 4’s soundtrack, linking all of the franchises, yet distinctly recognizable as a Diablo 2 sound.
Ahead of the performance, I had the privilege of sitting down with two of the architects behind these sounds: Charlotte Pyle, Principal Audio Producer, and Derek Duke, Music Director at Blizzard Entertainment.
Getting the right people for the job
For those who live and breathe these games, it is easy to assume that the people making the music have been lifelong gamers in the traditional sense, but the paths to Blizzard are as diverse as the scores themselves.
Charlotte Pyle joined the studio nine years ago, coming from the film industry. "I was contacted when I was working in the film industry about a production role for cinematic sound," Pyle explained. "I did a whole gauntlet of interviews, and they called me to say they were interested in me joining, but wanted me to actually be the music producer lead".
Derek Duke, on the other hand, is a cornerstone of the Blizzard legacy. "I started at Blizzard as a contractor, writing music, and then I got an opportunity to come on board full time," Duke shared. Having been with the studio for roughly 25 years, his tenure spans the evolution of Blizzard's entire musical identity
Blizzard's "darkest" franchise
We touched upon the distinction between Blizzard's franchises, and the creative process behind Diablo's unique and ominous sound.
"Diablo is our 'M for Mature' game. It’s our darker, gothic franchise," Duke explained. "It’s heavier, it’s even more immersive; it has that sense of dread. World of Warcraft is definitely a bit brighter, a bit more neoclassical."
I’ve always felt that Mephisto's theme in Diablo 4 gives a sense of creeping death comparable to having Jaws nipping at your heels. When I asked if they looked to horror/thriller cinema for inspiration, Duke noted that their influences come from all over, explaining that they listen to a wide array of music and film rather than limiting themselves to one genre.
How collaboration has evolved
As technology has advanced, so too has the way Blizzard creates its soundtracks. The team works with musicians and singers from all over the globe. In fact, it was explained that this evening would be the first time many performers had performed in the same room, despite their sounds being woven together for years as we step around Sanctuary.
"Technology has evolved a lot, but it’s only just allowed us to move a little bit faster and work more efficiently," Duke noted. "Especially with things like Diablo 4, it’s made collaboration amazingly better. We’re working with vocalists and instrumentalists all over the world — from electric violinists in Canada to percussionists in LA. It’s amazing".
This collaborative spirit extends into the game’s development cycle itself. I asked how early the guys got involved with the writers when it came to making a piece of music for a specific cutscene or side quest.
"We’re constantly in contact with the game team — that’s one of the benefits of the central music team being so embedded with every single game," Pyle said. "The minute we start hearing about something, we’re getting on a call, getting concept art, and looking at narrative storylines as early as possible".
Duke gave an example. "Neyrelle's theme would have been created when we started on that cinematic with Neyrelle in it, so we would have decided that Neyrelle needed a theme for her, because she was being used in the storyline, so we started working on a theme for her that could be used in multiple cinematics as well throughout the story,"
Translating the digital to the live stage
The challenge of taking music meant for a PC headset and moving it to a grand concert hall was one of the most exciting topics we touched on. For the symphony, the team didn't just play back digital files; they leaned into the human element of the soundtrack.
"The arrangements were created specifically for the symphony," Duke explained. "We have four of the soloists that we used on Diablo 4 flying in to perform live. There won't be any stopping or starting or second takes; it’ll be captured in one go"
A legacy of sound
One of the most impressive things about Diablo 4 is how its soundtrack manages to feel entirely new while sneaking in those "twangs" of nostalgia, those specific notes we talked about that instantly transport you back to Diablo 2.
"We’re always conscious of the past and keeping that legacy," Duke said of their approach to the latest entry. "We always want to evolve the sounds of the franchises, but keep that past present in the future. It’s great that you picked up on that".
I left that evening with a sense that the team behind Diablo 4's sound has a deeper focus on history than you might think, aided in no small part by a group of Blizzard veterans. It can't be easy to keep the franchise's legacy alive while still fostering a unique identity for Diablo 4, but they've pulled it off. This was felt more than ever when experiencing the Infernal Symphony itself. The shift in pace from the classic Diablo 2 tracks to the melancholic despair of Kyovashad’s theme made it clear they have been able to go bigger and bolder with Diablo 4. Yet, even amidst that grand orchestral scale, I am incredibly glad that there is still room for that classic 12-string guitar.
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